Medicine chest

ABSTRACT

A medicine chest comprises a chest body with a plurality of storage compartments. For closing the medicine chest, a displaceable shutting means ( 24 ) is provided. This requires substantially less space than doors, for example.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention refers to a medicine chest.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Such chests are generally used in households, firms, etc. to store drugs, bandages and the like. Known medicine chests comprise a chest body with a plurality of storage compartments, the chest body being closed with one or two doors. Since opening the doors requires a certain amount of space, known medicine chests cannot be accommodated in a kitchen cabinet, a bathroom cabinet or the like. This results in many households not having a medicine chest, the drugs being stored in drawers, for example. Thus, the drugs are often not locked up and are accessible to children. In many households, bandages and the like are not present at all or, due to the lack of a medicine chest, they are not readily retrievable in cases of emergency.

[0003] It is the object of the invention to provide a medicine chest that may also be accommodated in other cabinets or the like.

[0004] According to the invention, the object is solved with the features of claim 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] According to the invention, the chest body of the medicine chest is closed with a displaceable shutting means. Thus, opening and closing the chest body is effected by displacing the shutting means. Accordingly, no extra space is required for swivelling open chest doors. Due to the displaceable shutting means provided by the invention, the space required for the present medicine chest is no larger than the dimensions of the chest itself. Thus, it is possible, e.g., to fasten the chest body to the inner surface of a cabinet door. All that is necessary is to shorten the cabinet shelves by the depth of the medicine chest.

[0006] The displaceable means may be one or two flexible sliding doors, for example, which are pushed into side walls of the chest body. Preferably, the shutting means is a blind pushed up or down for opening. Preferably, the blind is designed such that it may be pushed into a receiving portion of the chest body. This is advantageous in that all storage shelves arranged in the chest body are accessible at the same time. Preferably, a single displaceable shutting means is provided so that the medicine chest may readily be opened single-handed.

[0007] Preferably, the receiving portion into which the shutting means, such as the blind, is pushed for opening is designed as a receiving compartment. This ensures that the displacement of the shutting means is not hindered by objects in the medicine chest or is even made impossible. Providing a receiving compartment for the shutting means ensures that the medicine chest can be opened quickly. Preferably, the receiving compartment is a compartment formed on the rear of the chest as a double-walled rear wall, the shutting means being pushed between the two rear walls. The inner surface of the receiving compartment thus serves as a stop for draw-out compartments, in case the storage compartments are designed as such. It is not necessary to provide an additional stop that ensures, for example, that a draw-out compartment cannot be pushed into the receiving portion serving to receive the shutting means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The following is a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 a schematic perspective view of a closed medicine chest,

[0010]FIG. 2 a schematic front view of a preferred embodiment of the medicine chest, and

[0011]FIG. 3 a schematic section along line III-III in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012] The embodiment illustrated in the Figures comprises a chest body 10 that is substantially parallelepiped in shape. The chest body has two opposing side walls 12, 14, a bottom wall 16 and a top 18 opposite the bottom. Further, the chest body 10 has a rear side 20 (FIG. 3). To open and close the chest body 10, a blind 24 of a plurality of horizontal lamellae 22 is provided as a shutting means. At the lowermost lamella 22, the blind 24 has a handle 26. The same may be provided with a security latch or a lock to ensure that the drugs are not accessible to kids.

[0013] In the open state (FIG. 3), the blind 24 can be inserted into a receiving portion designed as a receiving compartment 28. The receiving compartment is formed by a partition wall 30 arranged in parallel to the rear wall 20. Thus, a double-walled rear wall is provided, the receiving compartment 28 being formed between the two walls 20, 30. The receiving compartment 28 is thus formed at a rear side of the chest body. The side walls 12, 14 each have a groove 29 for guiding the blind.

[0014] To form storage compartments, a plurality of horizontal intermediate shelves 31 and vertical partition walls 32 are provided. According to the invention, drawers 34, 36, 38 of different sizes or draw-out compartments are provided. The depth of the draw-out compartments (FIG. 3) is selected such that the same can be arranged entirely within the chest body 10. Here, a inner surface 40 of the horizontal partition wall 30 serves as a stop.

[0015] The present medicine chest is divided into three portions 42, 44, 46. The upper portion 42 is a receiving portion for receiving a first-aid kit. To this avail, a portion with a pivotable flap 50 is provided that may be swivelled open in the direction of an arrow 48. This portion extends over the entire width of the chest body 10 and has a height of about 90 to 100 mm. Thus, a common first-aid kit holding the materials required for first aid, such as bandages, triangular suspension cloth, etc., can be accommodated in the first-aid portion 42.

[0016] The adjoining self-medication portion 44 serves to accommodate common drugs and the like that are used often. These are drugs such as headache tablets, burn ointments, band aids, etc. These may be stored in the draw-out compartments 36, 38. At least one compartment 36 is dimensioned such that a common package of tubes can be accommodated in the draw-out compartment 36. Further, the self-medication portion comprises an upright compartment 52 which is about one third of the width of the chest body 10. This is an open compartment with an flange 54 in which small bottles or other drugs or the like may be put that have to be stored upright. Due to the flange 54, the drugs do not fall out from the upright compartment. The drawers 36, 38, which are preferably drawers of transparent material so that the drug within the drawer is visible, may also be provided with a note. The note may be a sticker that is provided with the logo of the manufacturer of the headache tablets or the like, for example.

[0017] The lower portion 46 is a portion for individual medication, comprising six draw-out compartments 34 in the embodiment illustrated. In this portion, medication for daily intake may be stored, for example. Again, it is also possible to stick or attach notes thereon.

[0018] Each of the three portions 42, 44, 46 makes up one fourth to one third of the entire height of the chest body 10.

[0019] Due to the present design of the medicine chest which may have a small depth (FIG. 3), preferably in the range from 80 to 120 mm, it possible to arrange the medicine chest on the inner surface of a kitchen cabinet, for example. Because of the slidable blind 24, very little space is required, while all storage compartments 34, 36. 38, 50 are quickly and readily accessible.

[0020] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof, it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow. It is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 

1. Medicine chest comprising a chest body; a plurality of storage compartments, and a shutting means (34) for closing the chest body, wherein said shutting means is displaceable for opening/closing said chest body.
 2. Medicine chest of claim 1, wherein said shutting means is displaceable into a receiving portion so that all storage compartments are accessible at the same time.
 3. Medicine chest of claim 2, wherein each receiving portion is designed as a receiving compartment.
 4. Medicine chest of claim 3, wherein said receiving compartment is formed at the rear of said chest body.
 5. Medicine chest of claim 3, wherein an inner surface of said receiving compartment serves as a stop for storage compartments designed as draw-out compartments.
 6. Medicine chest of claim 1, wherein said shutting means is vertically displaceable for opening/shutting the chest.
 7. Medicine chest of one claim 1, wherein one storage compartment has the width of the chest body and a size adapted to receive a first-aid pack.
 8. Medicine chest of claim 7, wherein said first-aid compartment is a hinged compartment.
 9. Medicine chest of claim 1, wherein a plurality of storage compartments form a self-medication portion.
 10. Medicine chest of claim 9, wherein the self-medication portion comprises a plurality of drawers adapted to be provided with notes.
 11. Medicine chest of claim 1, wherein at least one storage compartment is designed as an upright compartment with a flange for drugs to be stored upright.
 12. Medicine chest of claim 1, wherein a plurality of storage compartments form a portion for individual medication. 